Trauma study's key recommendation: moratorium on new centers

Florida Surgeon General John Armstrong wouldn't say whether or not he's ready to support any of the "key recommendations" from a committee of national experts that studied the state's trauma system. And he particularly avoided saying whether or not he would support imposing a moratorium on establishing new trauma centers or granting full status to existing ones, as the committee suggested.

“We’re going to review all these recommendations and determine how we can continue to move Florida’s trauma system forward," he said when we asked him about the moratorium.

Later in our conversation, we asked him again about the recommendation from the committee representing the American College of Surgeons and if he felt he had the power to impose a moratorium if he agreed one is needed.

"The Department of Health is going to review these recommendations and determine how we can move forward based on what the system consultation team has shared with us," he said. "Obviously, in the review we will understand what processes we have at our disposal to move forward with these recommendations."